Movement of heavy items into and out of the rear end of an enclosed van or truck may be quite difficult and even hazardous for an operator due to the limited space of the enclosure wherein the operator may be placed in an awkward position while handling the heavy items.
Rotatable booms mounted in open bed pick-up vehicles are well known. The use of a rotatable boom enables an operator to easily lift and remove heavy items from an open pickup bed along a circular path. However, the use of a rotatable boom for a vehicle having an enclosed rear would not provide the ability to lift of the item along a straight path, as is often necessary due to the limited space. Therefore, moveable liftgates or tailgates and the like may typically be employed for lifting heavy items into an enclosed truck bed of the van. However, moveable liftgates or tailgates still require that the operator move heavy items to and from the rear or side entrance of the enclosed truck bed where they may be preferably located.
It would be highly desirable to have the convenience of a rotatable boom that can be conveniently mounted to one side of the enclosed bed but is still operable for lifting items along a straight line or semi-straight line to the desired position. Consequently, there remains a need for an improved rotatable boom to operate within enclosures such as those found in enclosed trucks and vans. Those skilled in the art have long sought and will appreciate the present invention which addresses these and other problems.